The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1887-06-18
The CREOLES OF
LOUISIANA;
Or, "reminiscences Of an Old
Acadian.
BY FELIX VOORHEES,.
CHAPTER III.
BY FELIX VOORHEES,.

Thus Tar p'tiOts, nave depictel
you the SIMPLE manners and customs OF
tn Acadians. will now relate to you
what befell them and how cruel war
sOwed rui aud desOlation In their
homes. " ill tell you how they were
ruthlessly treated by the English. driven
away from Acadia and despciled OF all
that they possessed. How they We're
scattered to the four winds as wretched
exiles, the very name Of their country
being blotted out Of exist nee. Mys O.
~ will not be gdy, petiots. l warn you
but Is meet and proper that you should
know these things. and that you should
learn them from the lips Of the witness
ses themselves.
1t was on Sunday remember this as
II it were but yesterday-we were atten-
ding mass, and when OR old curate as
cended his pulpit as he was wont to do
every Sunday, he announced to US that
war had been declared between Franae
and England. My children, said he. in
deep and solemn tones, you may expect
to witness awful scenes and undergo sore
trials, but God will not fOrsake you. if
you put your trust in his infinite m'rry,
and there kneeling down he prayed aloud
for France, and we all responded to his
fervent voice and said amen from the
depths of our heai Is. A painful silence
prevailed in the little church until mass
was over. 1t seemed as if each Of us was
assisting at the funeral Of a member OF
his family.
As we went out Of church the people
grouped themselves together Oh all sides
and discussed the sad news. There was
no dancing on the green sward in front
Of the little church that day, petiOts and
we retired mournfully and quietly to Oul
homes. This intelligence troubled Us
and we tried in vain to shake of tn,
gloomy thoughts that darkened Oul
souls. When we conversed together thu
words expired on our lips and our smiles
had the sadness of sob. Ali PetiOts
war with its train Of evils, and of woes i
always terrible scOurge and well nigh
we reflect mOurnfully on its cOnsequen
ces and dread the future. England hat
enlisted hundreds Of Indians in her ar
mics and the bldoodthirsty savages spa
red neither age nor sex, and inflicted tn
most exquisite fortunes on their prisoner
They dreamed of nothing else but incen
diarism and massacre. and these wer
the troops that were to be let loose upoI
us. The mere thought of having to fac
such tends was enough TO dismay tn
stoutest heart and to disturb the peac
and quiet Of community like Ouri
We knew not what to resolve, but com
what may, we were determined to iii
rather than become traitors to Col an
our King.
Then We would argue ourselves into
different mood by thinking that thi
news might. after all be exaggerated al
that our apprehensions were unfounde,
Why should England wage war upon US
Was 1t probable that the retired spot il
habited by us had even attracted thei
passing notice? Acadia so poor, so desc
late. so sparsely peopled. was surely nc
worth while shedding a single drop {
blood for its conquest. The storm wOul
pass by without even ruffliug our ptac
and tranquility. We argued thus
rid ourselves of the gloomy fOrebOdine
that troubled us. but despite our endea'
Ors, our fears would return atS. make u